"In
some locations this fruit becomes highly colored with attractive bright red predominating, but more often the
color is not good, being predominantly dull green or yellow and more or less russeted. It is more suitable for
general market and culinary purposes than for dessert. It is of good size but does not rank high in quality;
the texture is somewhat coarse, and the flavor rather too acid for an agreeable dessert apple, but late in the
season its acidity becomes modified. It appears to be pretty hardy and a good bearer. When grown on warm soils
in Southern New York it may be marketed in September, but in the more northern regions of the state it keeps
into the winter. It is perhaps of sufficient merit to be worthy of testing but we are not yet ready to
recommend it for general planting

At A Glance

name:

Boskoop

origin:

Holland

date:

ca. 1856

parentage:

bud sport of Rechette de Montfort (?)

harvest:

October

season:

November-April

Historical"This variety is said to have originated
from seed in 1856 in the nursery of the Ottlander family at Boskoop. Palandt find that it is identical with the variety
describe by Lauche and Oberdieck as "Reinette von Monfort". It was imported into this country more than
twenty-five years ago and has gradually been disseminated to a limited extent in various portions of New York state.

Fruit"Fruit large. Form usually
oblate, obscurely ribbed, sometimes with oblique axis; pretty uniform in size and shape. Stem usually short and
thick, sometimes rather long. Cavity rather large, acute to acuminate, somewhat furrowed, often irregular, deep,
russeted. Calyx large; segments long or very long, acuminate, closed or somewhat open, sometimes separated at the
base. Basin abrupt, rather narrow, moderately shallow to rather deep, sometimes slightly furrowed.
"Skin dull green or yellowish,
sometimes blushed and mottled with rather bright red, and striped with deeper red, roughened with russet flecks, often
irregularly overspread with russet. Dots small and fray, mingled with other which are large, irregular and
russet.
"Calyx tube large, cone-shaped. Stamens
median to basal.
"Core medium to small, somewhat
abaxile; ells often unsymmetrical, closed or open; core lines slightly clasping. Carpel roundish or obcordate, a
little tufted. Seeds apt to be abortive; when well developed they are long, irregular, obtuse to acute, somewhat
tufted.
"Flesh tinged with yellow, firm,
somewhat coarse, tender, juicy, crisp, brisk subacid, good to very good.
" Season. Commercial season
September to November. As grown in Western New York generally some of the fruit may be kept till April."

"The Ben Davis reigns over a
much greater extent of country than does the Baldwin. It is unquestionably the leading commercial sort and the
most popular apple grown south of the Baldwin region. Generally speaking, it is the most important variety
known in the apple districts of the vast territory which stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific between
parallels 32 and 42. It is preeminently successful in the Virginias, Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri,
Arkansas and portions of adjoining states.

" In the more elevated and
more northern portions of New York ~it is not usually regarded with favor, but in Southeastern New York the
planting of it for commercial purposes has extended until, in many sections, it now ranks in importance next
to Baldwin and Rhode Island Greening. It is grown to a considerable extent in various other harts of the
state, but in many cases less successfully 'because too often the seasons are less favorable to the best
development of the fruit. Some find it acceptable for home use after the Baldwin season has closed, but here
it is generally regarded as not enough in quality for home use. It is often criticised disparagingly on the
joint of quality. When grown in the South or Southwest, at its best it is but of second rate quality, and
questionably in most portions of New York state the seasons are usually too short to mature the variety
properly. When grown in a South, the period when it is at its best is comparatively short.As fruited in New York, it ripens later and keeps later than when grown farther south. It often keeps
here in ordinary storage till Way, and in cold storage till June, or often till July. In the Ben Davis belt
the fruit becomes large and handsomely colored, but in many portions of New York state it does not range much
above medium in size and color. The fruit is thick-skinned, does not show bruises easily, and presents a good
appearance in the package after being handled and shipped in the ordinary way.

" Nurserymen like it because
of its free-growing habit and the ease and rapidity with which trees of marketable size can be grown. In the
orchard the tree is very hardy, healthy and vigorous. Although it does not appear to be as long-lived as
Baldwin, it comes into bearing at an early age, and usually bears annually and abundantly. Often. it makes a
good growth, even while bearing good crops. The top is rather dense, and in pruning, particularly in the case
of young trees, especial care should be taken to keep it open and spreading so as to give the best possible
opportunity for the fruit to color well. Its habit of blossoming late in the spring is an advantage in some
regions because the weather is then more apt to be favorable during the pollinating period, and the result is
that Ben Davis in such cases often bears good crops, when with other varieties there is more or less of a crop
failure.

At A Glance

name:

Ben Davis

origin:

variously believed: Kentucky, Tennesee, or
Virginia (?)

date:

pre-Civil War

parentage:

unknown

harvest:

October

season:

January-June

Historical"The origin of this apple will probably
never be definitely known. It has been variously credited to Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. It is supposed to have
originated about the beginning of the last century. This view is supported by the fact that before the Civil War it had
spread throughout the states just mentioned, and following the routes of migration had been carried into Southern
Indiana, Illinois and pretty generally disseminated throughout Missouri and Arkansas. Downing does not mention it in his
first edition, but it is describe in the first revision of his book on The Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. Warder
refer to it as a comparatively new sort in Ohio and the Northwest but common in the South and southwest. During the last
quarter century it has been disseminated extensively through all the apple-growing portions of the United States.

Tree"Tree medium in size, rather
rank-growing, especially when young, forming coarse strong wood which seldom breaks under heavy crops; branches strong,
with numerous rather short laterals and spurs, often inclined to bend or droop. Form upright becoming roundish,
and in old trees rather spreading. Twigs long or very long, straight, or slightly curved, moderately stout;
internodes long. Bark bright, rather dark brownish-red, continuously mottled with fine, tin scarf-skin,
pubescent. Lenticels scattering, round, sometimes oblong, raised, of a clear straw color, moderately conspicuous.
Buds medium to large or broad, obtuse, appressed, sunken in the bark, very sparingly pubescent. Leaves
large, long, rather broad.

Fruit"Fruit usually above medium to
large. Form roundish, varying from somewhat conic to somewhat oblong, broad, rounded at the base, often somewhat
elliptical or slightly irregular, sides sometimes unequal; pretty uniform in shape and in size. Stem medium to
long, rather slender. Cavity acute, moderately deep to deep, of medium width, nearly symmetrical, often partly
russeted or with outspreading rays of thin greenish russet. Calyx medium, closed or sometimes partly open; lobes
rather short, of medium width, acute. Basin abrupt, medium in width and depth, varying to shallow and narrow and
rather obtuse, sometimes furrowed, usually oblique.
"Skin tough, waxy, bright, smooth,
usually glossy, clear yellow or greenish, mottled and washed with bright red, striped and splashed with bright dark
carmine. Dots inconspicuous, small, scattering, light, whitish or brown. Prevailing effect bright deep red
or red striped.
"Calyx tube varies from short and
cone-shaped to rather wide and funnel-form with rather long cylinder and frequently with fleshy projection of pistil
point to its base. Stamens median to marginal.
"Core medium, axile, closed or
partly open; core lines clasping when the tube is funnel-form, meeting or slightly clasping when it is cone-shaped. Carpels
rather flat, roundish or inclined to obovate, very emarginate, mucronate. Seeds large, long, irregular, rather
wide, plump, acute, dark brown.
"Flesh whitish, slightly tinged
with yellow, firm, moderately coarse, not very crisp, somewhat aromatic, juicy, mildly subacid, good.
"Season January to June."